This forum sucks

Do you think it's time for change

There has been many recent comments on how this forum and how it's lost its way. It has been hijacked by students, visa questions and trolls.For this reason a vast majority have left, Gamla I think you must be the oldest serving.

I was wondering if between the members who may be interested that we set up a new forum and let this one rot (as it is already doing).

No BSmith, if you look at Toytowngermany, the German forum, you see a lot more conversation and debate. This forum has died out under the continuous posts of visa's, permits, etc - people who don't have a clue how to think for themselves, and then a group of posters who shout everyone else down - some who have no relation to Sweden at all.

Even in the heyday there was a fair amount of Sweden bitching as folks tried to figure out life here. But there was also more camaraderie. Some posters met privately.

The forum has mostly become a resource for the thick witted, looking for someone else to answer their questions rather than do any research themselves. Whereas in the past is was more of an expat community.

It's the Facebook influence I think. I see the same use of that as I see here. A lot of people who take and few give.

This forum has died out under the continuous posts of visa's, permits, etc - people who don't have a clue how to think for themselves, and then a group of posters who
... (show full quote)

This forum has died out under the continuous posts of visa's, permits, etc - people who don't have a clue how to think for themselves, and then a group of posters who shout everyone else down - some who have no relation to Sweden at all.
... (hide full quote)

Sometimes I feel guilty for propogating the visa stuff. When I first joined this forum, I was in my young 20s, had just begun dating my now-husband (who was known as jailbait to the old cast ), and I knew NOTHING about Sweden. I was one of those "no relation to Sweden" folks.. other than said romantic interest.

But I stuck around because the forum was hilarious and the camaraderie was infectious. But then I took a new job that eliminated all the free time I had at my previous one, and I didn't return until several years later when I was beginning my own immigration journey and desperately seeking any information I could get. The process is very often ambiguous and much less transparent than MV's website might often make it appear to be. I owe this forum a great deal for not only being a source of information but also a community of consolation when I was going through a very difficult time in my life, trying to navigate such a big shift in my life with very little information to operate off of. I have several real life friends here in Sweden that I met on this forum as we all were immigrating at the same time. I feel an obligation to pay it forward to others in a similar situation, because I know how useful the help can be.

For that reason, I do honestly believe that visa conversations have their place here. And I don't think it's always a case of people not being able to do their own research. There are so many horror stories and conflicting information out there, much of it thanks to the mouths of MV employees themselves!, that one finds the need to just ask other humans questions. To ask for help. The student threads that pop up every semester also have their place - I've read several of those threads and not only are they community-based, but people are always mentioning their schools and programs and seeking others who they could meet up with. It's just a niche of the community.

I don't really know what happened to TL in the years I left, but the community definitely wasn't the same when I came back. I just figured people moved on. It's a shame, but with facebook, it's so much easier to have more personal interactions. I wonder how many regular users on this forum would be more interested in joining a private Facebook group instead of this forum so prone to randoms traipsing in and leaving just as quickly (or, conversely, staying around for far too long. I won't name names )

Agree, if all those hate filled trolls who fill up each thread with whining, racism, insults and abuse leave this forum for another one where only their type posts, both the forums will be better off. So will be a win-win situation for all.

I wonder how many regular users on this forum would be more interested in joining a private Facebook group instead of this forum

I would never join Facebook until tax evading Mark Zuckerberg and his crony crooks pay their full taxes.That is why I surgested a forum in my first post on this thread, these forums are easily regulated.

Sometimes I feel guilty for propogating the visa stuff. When I first joined this forum, I was in my young 20s, had just begun dating my now-husband (who was known as jailbait
... (show full quote)

Sometimes I feel guilty for propogating the visa stuff. When I first joined this forum, I was in my young 20s, had just begun dating my now-husband (who was known as jailbait to the old cast ), and I knew NOTHING about Sweden. I was one of those "no relation to Sweden" folks.. other than said romantic interest.

But I stuck around because the forum was hilarious and the camaraderie was infectious. But then I took a new job that eliminated all the free time I had at my previous one, and I didn't return until several years later when I was beginning my own immigration journey and desperately seeking any information I could get. The process is very often ambiguous and much less transparent than MV's website might often make it appear to be. I owe this forum a great deal for not only being a source of information but also a community of consolation when I was going through a very difficult time in my life, trying to navigate such a big shift in my life with very little information to operate off of. I have several real life friends here in Sweden that I met on this forum as we all were immigrating at the same time. I feel an obligation to pay it forward to others in a similar situation, because I know how useful the help can be.

For that reason, I do honestly believe that visa conversations have their place here. And I don't think it's always a case of people not being able to do their own research. There are so many horror stories and conflicting information out there, much of it thanks to the mouths of MV employees themselves!, that one finds the need to just ask other humans questions. To ask for help. The student threads that pop up every semester also have their place - I've read several of those threads and not only are they community-based, but people are always mentioning their schools and programs and seeking others who they could meet up with. It's just a niche of the community.

I don't really know what happened to TL in the years I left, but the community definitely wasn't the same when I came back. I just figured people moved on. It's a shame, but with facebook, it's so much easier to have more personal interactions. I wonder how many regular users on this forum would be more interested in joining a private Facebook group instead of this forum so prone to randoms traipsing in and leaving just as quickly (or, conversely, staying around for far too long. I won't name names )
... (hide full quote)

I’ve been reading this forum for maybe a year but was recently compelled to “chime in”. I don’t know the history of the forum but to me the local is like gossip columns and the forum a part of that. It’s fun and when curious about people’s opinions who live in sweden you can talk directly to them... something that can’t be done by just googling. Google mixed with independent thought and gathering others first hand experience seems like a good way to make a decision to me. Or to get help in making a decision.

Immigration of all sorts, refugees, economic, love, is the big issue in sweden now, and has been for a while, so it’s underatandable that takes up a lot of the forum.

If long time posters don’t like it then I don’t understand why they can’t start a thread of their interest... like I did. I decided to start a thread about cannabis and it turned into an interesting read of varying opinions!

Two long time posters, I won’t name names but it can be found easily, also decided to 1, call me an idiot because I didn’t agree with them, and another basically told me to die because they didn’t like what I said.

Maybe they and those who act like this should really think why they are on this forum.

Maybe a Facebook group would be good... but I honestly like all the variety of a forum! A can of mixed nuts is great but there’s always a few old shriveled ones that need to be thrown out.